Review: “The Mandalorian” Season 1, Episode 8 (Disney+ Series)

The season finale of “The Mandalorian” is upon us…

WEEKLY DOSES  

In this age of “binge” TV, it was something of a novelty to have to wait a week to stream each new episode of “The Mandalorian” on Disney+.

In some respects, I kind of preferred it to the all-at-once model we’ve become accustomed to from other streaming services. It gave viewers something to look forward to each week. 

Moreover, it gave Disney eight weeks worth of free publicity for the show as fans shared their reactions and every “Baby Yoda” meme imaginable. 

It’s too bad Netflix doesn’t follow a similar model for shows like “Stranger Things.” By the time Bridget and I finally watched the third season (a mere week after it appeared on Netflix), it seemed like everyone had already viewed it (with most of the chatter having dried up). 

I enjoyed the communal banter that ensued by having “The Mandalorian" doled out in smaller portions each week. 

For example, it gave me a chance to text back and forth with my friend Jason Combs about each week’s episode, and setup a scenario where I reviewed each episode individually on this blog (I’ve typically reviewed entire seasons at once). 

A LONG TIME AGO, IN A COMEDY CLUB FAR, FAR AWAY...  

“The Mandalorian” season finale finds our heroes in a seemingly impossible showdown with Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) and his band of Stormtroopers and Death Troopers — continuing the events of Episode 7. 

The episode begins with the two Imperial Biker Scouts (who had captured the fallen Baby Yoda and murdered the Ugnaught Kuiil). We see them “standing by” in the lava flats of Nevarro, waiting for permission to return the child to Moff Gideon. 

This sets up a scene featuring some humorous banter between the two. One of the scouts is played by well-known comic actor Jason Sudeikis, and the other is played by Adam Pally of “The Mindy Project.”  

Fans were both amused and upset by the tonal departure of the show during these initial moments of the episode. The sequence includes instances where the scouts ambivalently punch the bag holding Baby Yoda. 

Episode 8 was directed by Taika Waititi. Waititi helmed 2017’s “Thor: Ragnarok” — a movie that injected more tongue-in-cheek humor into the Thor storyline than fans had previously experienced (read my review of “Thor: Ragnarok”). 

I loved “Thor: Ragnarok,” and consider it to be among my favorite Marvel movies. 

Overall, I found the scene fairly amusing because it setup the arrival of the reformed IG-11 droid nicely (the “nurse droid” summarily kicks the crap out of the scouts as he rescues Baby Yoda). 

Series creator Jon Favreau was a comedic actor/writer/director before he started helming big budget Disney productions. 

Favreau’s humorous flair brought a lot to 2008’s “Iron Man” (the film that set the stage for the Marvel Cinematic Universe). He handled the directing duties, and played Tony Stark’s snarky driver Happy Hogan. 

You have to be careful with “Star Wars” because attempts at humor have sometimes had unintended consequences (cue Jar Jar Binks). However, I think the franchise needs to have moments of levity every so often. 

OUR PROTAGONISTS ARE IN AN IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION 

Anyhow, the Mando (Pedro Pascal), Dune (Gina Carano), and Karga (Carl Weathers) are holed up in a bar on Nevarro listening to the demands of Moff Gideon — as Baby Yoda is being rescued by the IG unit. 

During this sequence we learn that Cara Dune is originally from Alderaan. As we all know, Leia was Princess of Alderaan, and the planet was obliterated by the first Death Star. 

This likely stands as the reason Dune hates the Empire (not that anyone really needs a specific reason to hate the Empire). 

We also find out that her full first name is “Carasynthia” — a pretty name for a tough lady. 

HIS NAME IS FINALLY REVEALED 

Gideon mentions that the Mando is a decommissioned Mandalorian hunter named “Din Djarin.” 

Thank goodness his name has finally been revealed. I've referred to the character as “the Mandalorian” and “the Mando” since I started this series of reviews. 

Depending on who you read/watch online, some people refer to the character simply as “Mando,” while others (like me) refer to him as “the Mando” (since it is a descriptor more than it is a proper name). 

Using “the” is a stylistic choice on my part, and I’ll keep using the term for consistency’s sake. I’m just relieved we can finally start referring to the character with a proper name. 

Additionally, we find out that Greef Karga is apparently a disgraced former magistrate. It’s kind of nice to know the character wasn’t always a smarmy bounty hunter. 

It was nice to learn new details about these characters in the season finale. The more the writers can sprinkle in new background information, the better. 

ALL HAIL PEDRO PASCAL 

I want to take a moment to commend Pascal’s portrayal of the titular character on “The Mandalorian.” I didn’t know how compelling a character in a helmet would be when the series first began, but he has done a terrific job bringing subtlety and nuance to the Mando. 

I’m looking forward to learning more about Din Djarin as future seasons progress. I’m also pleased series creators didn’t try to make this character Boba Fett — something that would have been tempting to do. 

A BIG-ASS GUN 

One of my favorite appearances in this episode is by a weapon — an “E-Web Heavy Repeating Blaster” (similar to the model that appeared in the Hoth sequence in “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back”). 

I had the Kenner toy version of this as a kid. My room was in our home’s attic growing up, and I employed this cannon in various Imperial bases I set up when I was playing with my “Star Wars” action figures:

Moff Gideon uses the gun to intimidate our protagonists, and employs its powerful firing fury to try and extricate them from the bar.

Gideon gives our protagonists until nightfall to decide whether or not to surrender — a choice that feels a bit hokey because it only serves to give our heroes time to scheme... but whatever... “Star Wars” often defies logic. 😉

THE IG UNIT RIDES INTO TOWN 

Cara Dune is worried about being captured because she’s concerned she’ll be uploaded to something called a “Mind Flayer” (a term heard in games like Dungeons & Dragons or in the show “Stranger Things,” but something I haven’t heard before in “Star Wars” parlance).

IG-11 soon rides into town (on an absconded speeder bike), and aids our heroes in their escape. 

It turns into a pretty entertaining shootout — involving various blaster fire and even a Stormtrooper brandishing a flamethrower!

I WANT YOU TO SHOW ME THE WAY... 

We also learn that “Mandolorian isn’t a race.” Rather, “It’s a Creed.” We gain additional insights into the Mando’s youth — he was a foundling who was rescued by Mandalorians clad in blue armor (known as the “Fighting Corps”) when his home was attacked by Imperials.

One interesting note on the outfit the young Din Djarin wears during the show’s flashback sequences — the ornamentation on the chest is a repurposed DonJoy Web Knee Brace (as pointed out by @slade2079 on Twitter):

KENNER ACTION FIGURE MEMORIES

Seeing Mandalorian warriors takes me back to Christmas 1979 when my parents bought me the first-ever Kenner Boba Fett action figure — along with Kenner’s Millennium Falcon playset. 

Fett seemed so interesting and mysterious at that time. (“The Empire Strikes Back” wouldn’t be released for another five months, and the character had only been seen briefly in an animated segment during “The Star Wars Holiday Special” on CBS.) 

Here is a commercial from that era advertising a special offer where fans could send off for a free Boba Fett action figure using Kenner proofs of purchase (I did that for a number of Kenner offers during those years — including an “accessories pack” with items like a rubber backpack that allowed a Luke Skywalker action figure to carry Yoda on his back):

THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK 

Getting back to Episode 8, our heroes eventually find a way to escape into the town’s sewer system via a shaft in the tavern. The IG unit is able to cut a hole into the grate covering the sewer line. 

The Mando sustained a head injury during battle, and urges the others to leave him behind.

As we know from previous episodes, Din Djarin can’t remove his helmet due to Mandalorian doctrine. It is forbidden for a living creature to see the Mando’s face. 

Since IG-11 is not a living thing, the droid removes the helmet to assess the injury. We see Djarin’s face for the first time. 

The droid sprays Din’s wound with bacta (the healing liquid Luke soaked in during the early stages of “The Empire Strikes Back”).

It was a neat experience to see the “face behind the mask” for the first time in “The Mandalorian.” It showed the vulnerable, flesh-and-blood person cloaked behind the Beskar armor. 

PILES OF BESKAR STEEL 

Djarin and the IG unit eventually meet up with the others in the tunnels under the city. After winding aimlessly through the maze-like passages, Din decides to take them to the Mandalorian covert, hoping his fellow warriors can guide them out. 

They find a pile of discarded Beskar helmets and armor in the covert. The armorer (Emily Swallow) steps out of the shadows and informs our protagonists that the Imperials killed most of the Mandalorians on Nevarro. 

She is in the process of salvaging the Beskar armor, turning it to liquid in her smelter. 

LIKE A PHOENIX RISING FROM THE ASHES 

The Mando reveals Baby Yoda to the armorer. She refers to Baby Yoda as a foundling, and says the Mandalorian Creed states the infant is now in Djarin’s care. He either must be trained in the Way of the Mandalore, or reunited “with its own kind” (a race of “enemy sorcerers”… the Jedi). 

As it regards Baby Yoda’s special powers, the armorer recognizes the abilities and mentions past battles between the Jedi and the Mandalorians.

This information sets up all sorts of potential plot lines for the second season of “The Mandalorian.” 

The question is whether Din Djarin will end up training the child in the Mandalorian ways, or if he’ll take the child to the Jedi before that happens. 

This sequence also allows Din Djarin to resupply his ammunition, where he is given a Mandalorian Signet (in the form of the mudhorn that appeared in Episode 2).

The armorer tells the Mandalorian “you are a clan of two” (as it regards his obligation to Baby Yoda).  

Pairs hold galaxy-wide significance in the “Star Wars” universe. 

Whether it was Yoda talking about the Sith in “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” (when Jedi Master said, “Always two, there are. No more, no less. A master and an apprentice”) ...

… or when Rey and Kylo Ren were referred to as a “Force Dyad" in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” … The concept has meaning in a galaxy far, far away. 

It’s something I hope will be explored in more depth as the series continues. 

The armorer also gives the Mando a jet pack before our heroes depart for the underground lava river. 

“Have you trained in the Rising Phoenix?” she asks as she gives him the jet pack. Din Djarin says he trained with jet packs as a child.

RIVERS OF LAVA

Resupplied and full of purpose, Din, Cara, Greef, IG-11, and Baby Yoda head to the lava river underneath the city. At the entrance, they find a beached boat with a dormant ferry droid at the helm. 

Once they dislodge the vessel, they float slowly down the river toward the the mouth of the cavern. 

The Mando scans the area and sees a Stormtrooper platoon hidden ahead, waiting outside to ambush our heroes. Sensing no realistic path to victory, IG-11 informs our heroes he is going to walk through the lava and initiate his self-destruct sequence at the mouth of the cavern (in order to save Baby Yoda from the troopers). 

I was kind of hoping IG-11 would stick around awhile. I enjoyed the droid during this season. Maybe we’ll see a different IG droid down the road.

Jon Favreau tweeted to inform fans that the second season of “The Mandalorian” will debut Fall 2020. He included a pic of this Gamorrean model (without an accompanying explanation):

I wonder what sort of role the creature has in the second season. As most of you know, Gamorrean guards graced Jabba the Hutt’s Palace in “Return of the Jedi.” 

I remember purchasing one of the Gamorrean Guard action figures when “Return of the Jedi” was released in 1983. 

I also recall an adventure I created where the Gamorrean Guard joined Han Solo and Chewbacca as part of the Millennium Falcon's crew. Han and Chewie referred to him as “Gam.” 

I patterned it after the “Galatica 1980” episode “The Return of Starbuck” (where Starbuck rebuilt an enemy Cylon and called it “Cy”). 

That’s probably way more than you needed to know about the overactive imagination I had during my childhood. ;-)

It’ll be interesting to see if the Gamorrean turns out to be an enemy, or if the creature will be an ally of Din Djarin. 

Anyhow, Episode 8 of “The Mandalorian” concludes with a sequence where Moff Gideon attacks our heroes (who made it safely to the lava flats) in his TIE Fighter. 

Our heroes’ blasters are useless against Gideon’s ship. 

The Mando — using his jet pack and grappling cable — plants explosives on the TIE Fighter. The explosion causes the TIE Fighter to crash beyond the horizon, saving the day, and keeping Baby Yoda out of the clutches of Gideon. 

While I really enjoyed the rocket pack sequence, it couldn’t have been more than 10 minutes prior that the armorer informed Djarin it would take a considerable amount of practice before the rocket pack would follow his commands. 

Be that as it may, the Mando seemed pretty damn adept out of the gate... ;-)

FAREWELL FOR NOW

Having won the day, Cara Dune decides to stay on Nevarro with Greef Karga (an appealing prospect now that they’ve cleaned the town of Imperial types). 

I was hoping she’d tag along with Din Djarin and the child. That said, I’m sure they’ll cross paths again. 

Djarin and Baby Yoda leave their colleagues behind, and depart Nevarro in the Razor Crest.

The final scene of the first season focuses on Moff Gideon’s downed TIE Fighter. Jawas are scavenging the wreckage, then we see Gideon cutting his way out of the crashed vessel with some sort of instrument.

It is the storied Darksaber that he uses to slice through the ship’s hull. 

Having just binge-watched “Star Wars: Rebels” in 2018, I was excited to see the ancient saber make an appearance (read my review of “Star Wars: Rebels”). 

The weapon makes appearances in “Rebels” and “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” It was originally created by Tarre Vizsla (the first Mandalorian to be a part of the Jedi Order).

I assume Gideon acquired the Darksaber during the Great Purge of Mandalore. He was part of the Imperial Security Bureau, and potentially has all sorts of historic trinkets stashed away. 

I’ve mentioned Geek Priest Father Roderick on this blog before, and he offers some interesting insights into Episode 8 on his YouTube channel — the allegorical underpinnings (from the Bible and greek mythology) seen in this episode (including the Darksaber):

THAT’S A WRAP ON THE FIRST SEASON

I guess that’s a wrap on the first season of “The Mandalorian.” 

While the first season had its flaws, the series shows a lot of promise. Now that they have a season under their collective belt, I’d imagine things will be sharper during the second season (which is already in production). 

I’m excited to see where Favreau & Co. will take the story.

Disney+ has a special show on its hands. “The Mandalorian” needs to be cultivated and nurtured as it progresses. 

We’re not going to see another “Star Wars” theatrical movie until 2022, so “The Mandalorian" (along with other SW originals on Disney+) is where the franchise will live in the near future. 

Here’s hoping Lucasfilm comes up with a compelling roadmap to guide future entries in the “Star Wars” universe. 

P.S. — I am obsessed this “80s Retro Synthwave” cover of “The Mandalorian” theme by YSSY: 

Previous post: “The Mandalorian” Season 1, Episode 7 (Disney+ Series)

Review: “The Mandalorian” Season 1, Episode 7 (Disney+ Series)

The penultimate episode of “The Mandalorian” dropped on Disney+ about a week ago.

My reaction to this chapter (“The Reckoning”) is tardy because I was working on my review of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” (read it here).

I’ll just say upfront that this was one of the strongest episodes in the series. 

Greef Karga (Carl Weathers) sends a holographic transmission to the Mando (Pedro Pascal) — saying the two are even. The client who hired the Mando to find Baby Yoda is still on Nevarro, his ranks of ex-Imperial guards have grown, and they’ve Imposed despotic rule on the city — all things impeding the livelihood of the Guild.

Karga tells the Mandalorian that they can’t get close enough to the man to take him out. That’s where the Mando comes in. Karga wants to hire him to take out the client, using Baby Yoda as bait.

If successful, the Mando gets to keep Baby Yoda and have his name cleared by the Guild.

The Mando agrees to the job, and heads back to Sorgan (featured in the fourth episode) to persuade former Rebel Dropper Cara Dune (Gina Carano) to help him with the job. He finds her fighting a Dathomirian opponent in the local common house. 

Dune agrees to help with the operation. She is concerned about getting involved, but hearing that the target is Imperial proves to be ample motivation. 

The Mando also figures it’d be a wise idea to have someone keep an eye on Baby Yoda, so he arm twists the Ugnaught Kuiil (Nick Nolte), who brings along three Blurggs for the crew to ride. 

He agrees to do it to “protect the child form Imperial slavery.” 

Many fans (like myself) were hoping that IG-11 (shot by the Mando in the first episode this season) would make a return appearance. This episode finds the IG unit restored and reprogrammed by Kuiil. The Mando (who has no love for droids) is skeptical, but Kuiil assures his visitors that the former bounty droid is harmless. 

“Droids are not good or bad,” says Kuiil. “They are neutral reflections of those who imprint them.” 

Even though a couple of episodes in this first season of “The Mandalorian” have felt episodic (very much standalone in nature), I like how creator Jon Favreau has managed to tie things together. 

We also get some insights into the psyche of Baby Yoda. During a down moment on the Razor Crest (as the team is flying to Nevarro), the Mando and Dune are arm wrestling. 

Baby Yoda — sensing his overseer is about to lose to the muscular shock troop — uses the Force to strangle her (something that felt very Darth Vader-esque). The Mando intervenes before it’s too late, but it illustrates the power the child possesses. It also illustrates how dangerous the little one could be in the wrong hands. 

The dramatics on Nevarro prove to be pretty compelling — and things don’t go according to plan. 

Karga had planned to betray the Mando (not terribly surprising), but changes his tune when Baby Yoda uses his skills to heal Karga after a flying Reptavian attacks their camp during the journey to town.

The Mando decides to do the job without Baby Yoda — instead bringing the empty pram (closed) into town. He sends Kuiil back to the Razor Crest with the child. 

There are far more Stormtroopers guarding the Mando’s original client (Werner Herzog) than Karga had suggested. 

In these moments we see the tension ratcheted up in the narrative. There isn’t anything particularly earth-shattering in terms of novel plot points in the episode, but the execution is really well done. 

The seventh chapter ends with a fallen Baby Yoda being scooped up from the lava fields by a couple of biker scouts (who intercepted a transmission from the Mando to Kuiil and chased the Ugnaught to the Razor Crest). 

We also see an image of Kuiil where the Ugnaught looks like he is dead, gunned down by the biker scouts. I’m hoping we’ll find out he’s alright in the season finale. 

We meet Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) for the first time in this episode (he lands in a TIE Fighter on Nevarro toward the end of the episode). He suggests that the Mandolorian and Cara Dune have no idea what they are in possession of as it regards Baby Yoda. 

“It means more to me than you will ever know,” Gideon says. 

Gideon — with a group of Death Troopers and additional Stormtroopers — sets up an intimidating showdown for Chapter 8. 

It was kind of cool to see an Imperial Troop Transport in this episode. 

This craft is based on a toy Kenner released in the 1970s:

This episode was directed by Deborah Chow. She also directed the third episode. If both of the chapters she directed are any indication, fans are in for a treat when the Disney+ series based on Obi-Wan Kenobi (starring Ewan McGregor) is released. Chow will handle all directing duties in that series. She appears to be a talented filmmaker. 

Stay tuned for my review of “The Mandalorian” Season 1, Episode 8 — the final episode of the first season!

Previous post: “Review: ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’”

Review: “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”

SPOILERS AHEAD!

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” is finally upon us — the final chapter in a nine-film saga that has spanned more than 40 years. 

DRAMA IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY

There has been considerable debate surrounding the direction of the “Star Wars” universe in recent months. 

First off, Disney CEO Bob Iger’s recent memoir “The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons I Learned From 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company” chronicled “Star Wars” creator George Lucas’s disappointment when the Mouse (after they bought Lucasfilm in 2012) scrapped his story treatments in favor of the current sequel trilogy. 

Secondly, an upcoming SW trilogy (reported to debut in 2022) by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (the pair behind HBO’s “Game of Thrones”) crumbled when it was announced in October that the two filmmakers had walked away from the deal. 

Stir in tepid fan reaction to 2017’s “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (which I personally loved) — along with a disappointing box office haul for 2018’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story” — and you have enough offscreen drama to fill a star cruiser. 

But there have been some bright spots. The Disney+ series “The Mandalorian” (Lucasfilm’s first foray into live action TV series) has been well received, and a number of the other planned series sound intriguing. 

ABRAMS IS BACK 

J.J. Abrams is back at the helm for the final chapter of the sequel trilogy. 

Each chapter of the sequel trilogy had been set to have a different director. Abrams helmed the first, Rian Johnson the second, and Colin Trevorrow (the man behind “Jurassic World”) was set to guide the third and final part. 

I recall a “60 Minutes” interview of Abrams in 2015 (right before the release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) where he and his wife Katie McGrath expressed disinterest in further rebooting and refreshing other filmmakers’ franchises. Prior to being hired for the “Star Wars” gig, Abrams had just completed a two-film stint rebooting the “Star Trek” franchise for Paramount. 

So it sounded like he was done with “Star Wars.”

But nothing is ever really gone in the “Star Wars” universe, and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy lured Abrams back into the fold when pre-production for “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” hit a snag. 

I’m happy Abrams is back. I’m a big fan of his work (Bridget can attest to my love of his espionage series “Alias”), and I consider 2009’s “Star Trek” to be among my favorite films of the past decade. 

PALPATINE RETURNS...  

The events in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” are set one year after the Battle of Crait in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” 

The first half hour of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” features a considerable amount of exposition. 

Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) procures a Sith Wayfinder (a tracking device used to find evil force wielders). He makes his way to the planet Exegol using the device as a guide, and discovers a disfigured Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) — a character who apparently didn’t die at the end of “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.” 

People who've read various fan theories the past four years have likely seen the theory that Rey (Daisy Ridley) is Palpatine’s child — or somehow related to the gnarled purveyor of darkness. More on that later…

We learn that Palpatine has been pulling the strings with individuals like Supreme Leader Snoke to perpetrate the rise of the First Order. 

“Pulling the strings” might not be a strong enough phrase — we see vats on Exegol with creatures who look like Snoke marinating in them. 

Palpatine states, “I have been every voice…” (suggesting every evil voice Kylo has heard has ultimately been Palpatine acting as puppet master). 

Palpatine also has a secret fleet of Star Destroyers. And if that’s not enough, Palpatine wants Kylo Ren to kill Rey. 

CORRECTING SINS OF THE PAST 

Looking at this logistically, if Kylo Ren’s discovery of Palpatine had taken place at the end of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” it might have allowed “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” to be able to breathe a little bit more in the film’s first hour. 

It also might have changed perceptions about Rian Johnson’s screenplay for Episode VIII. 

Some have suggested that Abrams (with the help of screenwriter Chris Terrio) is essentially undoing what Johnson did in “The Last Jedi.” I’m not quite so sure I see it that way. 

I get the sense there was considerable pressure within the corridors of Disney/Lucasfilm to create the proper payoff for fans. As a result, it almost feels like they could have spread the events in Episode IX over two films (something Warner Bros. did with the “The Deathly Hallows” in the “Harry Potter” franchise). 

Anyhow, Rey is training to be a Jedi under the tutelage of Princess Leia (employing unused footage of Carrie Fisher from “The Force Awakens” and “The Last Jedi”). 

“Star Wars” geeks will recall in Timothy Zahn’s “Heir to the Empire” book trilogy in the 1990s (which isn’t canon) when Leia was attempting hone her Force skills with Luke (she also had a lightsaber in those novels, if I recall correctly).  

OUR HEROES GET DOWN TO BUSINESS

As Rey trains, Poe (Oscar Isaac), Finn (John Boyega), and Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) are on a mission to obtain info from a First Order spy relating to Kylo Ren’s discovery. 

We learn during this scene (which is included in the “Extras” section of “The Mandalorian” page on Disney+) that droids like R2-D2 and BB-8 have to be “hard-wired” to receive information. Apparently wireless networking cards don’t yet exist in a galaxy far, far away. 

Our heroes learn Palpatine is back. Rey searches for clues in the ancient Jedi texts she rescued from Ahch-To (and stowed aboard the Millennium Falcon at the end of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”).

That revelation leads Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewy, BB-8, and C-3PO to a desert planet called Passana. 

There are some interesting stunt pieces that encompass the search for a Wayfinder that leads to an ancient dagger etched with Sith text (I half expected Indiana Jones to show up). 

A highlight moment on the planet is the appearance of Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams). It’s good to have the character back, and I wouldn’t mind seeing him headline a Disney+ series in the future. 

I will say J.J. Abrams did an excellent job keeping the narrative moving. The previous film had moments that dragged. This movie kept a steady pace.

Rey has a confrontation in the desert with Kylo Ren, Chewbacca is captured (along with the dagger), and the Millennium Falcon is taken by the First Order. 

C-3PO has the ability to translate the mystery text on the dagger, but the droid’s programming forbids such a translation. So Poe suggests they head to a planet called Kijimi to get the translation extracted from the droid’s memory banks. 

In some respects, this move is similar to the plot device used in “The Last Jedi” where Finn and Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) go to Canto Bight to find a codebreaker who can hack a First Order ship. 

On Kijimi, “Star Wars” composer John Williams has a cameo as a character named Oma Tres (a bartender). It was nice to see the 87-year-old music guru make an appearance in a “Star Wars” film. 

Williams’s score is solid in “The Rise of Skywalker” and includes a number of nods to previous anthems in the series.

We meet Zorii Bliss (Keri Russell) on Kijimi — a friend of Poe’s who knew him during his spice running days. 

By the way, in this movie get a cute new droid named D-O — who has a head I suggested (when the first trailer for the movie was released) looked like Mickey Mouse's gloved hand: 

Have I mentioned that there is a lot of stuff going on in this movie? Keep in mind, the entirety of the story in “The Rise of Skywalker” takes place in a mere 16 hours. 

Rey uses her Jedi senses to discover that Chewbacca is still alive. Our band of heroes eventually translates the info in C-3PO’s head and travels to a nearby Star Destroyer to rescue Chewie (using a round medallion provided by Zorii Bliss that grants a user access to First Order ships). 

REY IS MORE THAN SHE SEEMS

We have more “Force conversations” (introduced in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”) between Rey and Kylo in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” 

During one of these conversations on the Star Destroyer, Rey learns from Ren that she is Palpatine’s granddaughter — contradicting Ren’s proclamations in the last movie that she is a nobody. 

Rey's father was apparently Palpatine’s son. 

You have to wonder when exactly Palpatine found time to father a child in the midst of his quest to take over the galaxy. This was something not alluded to in any of the other “Star Wars” films. 

As you can imagine, this revelation leads to an eventual showdown with Palpatine. 

Along the way, we get some interesting sequences involving the remains of the second Death Star on Kef Bir (as our heroes search for a Wayfinder to discern the location of Palpatine). We meet a woman named Jannah (Naomi Ackie) there.

Rey gets into a lightsaber battle with Kylo on the carcass of the Death Star. During the duel, she fatally stabs him in the gut, but then uses the Force to heal him. 

She takes his ship and heads to Ahch-To to exile herself on the island where she trained with Luke Skywalker — due to her distress about her lineage. 

Kylo — stranded on Kef Bir after his battle with Rey — has a vision involving his father Han Solo (Harrison Ford). It was kind of nice to see Han make an appearance.

THE FINAL BATTLE 

Rey eventually leaves Ahch-To (at the urging of Luke Skywalker’s “Force Ghost"), heads to Exegol, and transmits her location to the Resistance. 

A squadron (led by Poe Dameron) arrives to do battle with the First Order assembled there. Lando (back in the pilot seat of the Millennium Falcon, which was awesome…) leads a ragtag group of reinforcement ships to help in the fight against the armada of Star Destroyers. 

There is a neat cameo by pilot Wedge Antilles (Denis Lawson) during this sequence. 

As I mentioned earlier, everything in the movie builds to the showdown between Rey and Palpatine on Exegol. Kylo Ren — on a path of redemption — helps her out during the showdown. 

There are numerous nods to the throne room sequence in “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” during the final showdown. There are also a number of similarities to the scenes in Snoke’s throne room in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” 

KYLO REN’S REDEMPTION 

Kylo Ren in “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” might have been the best we’ve seen the character. I’d hoped “The Rise of Skywalker” would be about his journey, and we would see the character redeemed during the film. 

We do to a certain extent. Kylo Ren (born Ben Solo) ultimately dies at the end of the film. He exchanges his life for Rey’s (returning the favor from when she’d saved his life earlier in the film).

While his death scene worked in the context of the story’s narrative, it would have been interesting to see him survive and return to normalcy as Ben Solo.

(We also get the “Reylo” moment some fans have been wanting when the two shared a kiss after the final showdown with Palpatine). 

WE CONTINUE TO LEARN NEW THINGS ABOUT THE FORCE 

The concept of the Force has typically been “vaguely defined” throughout the first eight chapters in the Skywalker Saga. Anytime something new is introduced, it can be jarring.

Remember how fans where thrown for a loop when they learned in “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace” that an individual’s ability to wield the Force had to do with the presence of Midichlorians in someone’s blood? 

In similar fashion, the sequel trilogy has introduced a number of heretofore unknown “Force abilities” to the “Star Wars” universe. Some fans are accepting of those newly discovered abilities; others are not. 

I feel like the filmmakers sometimes “invent” a new way for the Force to work merely as a method of “deus ex machina” — using it as a tool to write themselves out of a corner, or as a convenient way to create an unexpected plot twist. 

Therein lies one of the root causes of the rather divisive views on the “Disneyfied” world of “Star Wars” we find ourselves with today. 

KEEPING THINGS SIMPLE IN THE “STAR WARS” UNIVERSE 

“Star Wars” typically works best when it keeps things simple and vague. That is a structure that has worked to great effect in the Disney+ series “The Mandalorian.” 

The “Star Wars” saga isn’t “Harry Potter,” “The Lord of the Rings,” or the “Marvel Cinematic Universe.” 

The reason Marvel can seamlessly integrate fantasy and science fiction in the MCU is because that franchise has only been around a decade. It helps that the MCU isn’t guided by a “trilogy” structure — and is instead free to braid plot lines between an endless stream of movies. 

(I understand there are decades of Marvel comics, but most movie-goers haven’t read them.)

A ROADMAP FOR FUTURE MOVIES 

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige cultivated a terrific roadmap for the Marvel movies. Feige has been tapped develop a new “Star Wars” film. Word on the street is that filmmakers won’t be trapped in the future by the “three-act structure.”

I think it was a daunting task to try and create three additional parts to George Lucas’s “Star Wars” saga, and make those films relevant for a 21st century movie-going public. 

I do believe this sequel trilogy would have benefitted from a detailed roadmap. 

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS IN “THE RISE OF SKYWALKER” 

For example, it has never been explained why Luke’s blue lightsaber (originally his father’s lightsaber — given to him by Obi-Wan Kenobi in “Star Wars: A New Hope”) was in Maz Kanata’s basement in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

Moreover, that lightsaber fell away into space at the end of “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” — when Luke’s hand was cut off by Darth Vader in Cloud City. 

Luke built a green lightsaber to replace the blue one (that he used in “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi”).

I just want to know why the lost lightsaber showed up again.

There were also a couple instances in “The Rise of Skywalker” where Finn told Rey he needed to tell her something (that seemed pretty important). Yet we never found out what that *something* was... 

LEARNING FROM THIS TRILOGY 

I think Disney/Lucasfilm has to look at this trilogy as a learning experience. J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson both contributed some interesting plot lines, beautiful action sequences, and heady fantasy elements to the “Star Wars” saga in Episodes VII, VIII, and IX. 

All three of the films in this trilogy were produced on a tight timetable. The previous trilogies (under the guidance of George Lucas) had a three-year gap between releases (instead of two years).

FINAL THOUGHTS 

Looking at things from a fan perspective, sometimes you just have to let go of your preconceived notions, and focus on the simple pleasures “Star Wars” provides. 

We live in a world that is constantly pointing out problems with things that should bring us joy. It is an epidemic in fandom that has a stifling impact on pop culture these days. 

I had a good time watching “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” Sure, it had its flaws, but it was a surprisingly buoyant and fast-paced journey. I had fun with it, and laughed and cheered throughout. 

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